Virginia National Guard

HART trains on rooftop rescue hoists during quarterly exercise
June 30, 2021 — Virginia National Guard aviation crews and Chesterfield County Fire and Emergency Medical Services Scuba Rescue Team members trained on rescue hoist operations during a training exercise June 8-10, 2021, in Chesterfield County, Virginia. ... MORE

29ID Soldiers participate in Supporting Warrior Action Team training
June 28, 2021 — Soldiers from the Fort Belvoir-based 29th Infantry Division, along with Soldiers from various Fort Hood-based units, recently participated in Supporting Warrior Action Team training at Fort Hood, Texas... MORE

First Army assists with 29th ID validation as National Guard unit preps for Operation Spartan Shield
June 26, 2021 — Following the announcement for its call to overseas service to support Operation Spartan Shield, the Virginia Army National Guard’s 29th Infantry Division (29th ID) successfully conducted its post-mobilization at North Fort Hood... MORE

Ceremony remembers 77th anniversary of D-Day
June 17, 2021 — The valor, fidelity and sacrifice of D-Day participants were remembered June 6, 2021, at the observance of the 77th anniversary of the Allied invasion of Normandy at the National D-Day Memorial in Bedford, Virginia... MORE

183rd RTI holds recognition ceremony for WOCS graduates
June 16, 2021 — The Virginia National Guard's Warrant Officer Candidate School welcomed five new graduates from class 21-001 during a recognition ceremony hosted by the Fort Pickett-based 183rd Regiment, Regional Training Institute June 5, 2021, at Fort Pickett, Virginia... MORE

Virginia Army National Guard and U.S. Army Reserve candidates swear in as new warrant officers during a graduation ceremony hosted by the Fort Pickett-based 183rd Regiment, Regional Training Institute June 5, 2021, at Fort Pickett, Virginia.

Signal officer shares journey of transition, acceptance
June 16, 2021 — When Maj. Keilyn DiStefano started her military career in 1998, it was in a different state, under a different name, with a different gender assignment. Back then, she wasn’t herself... MORE

Once open transgender service was authorized in the military, Maj. Keilyn DiStefano said she was among the first transgender Soldiers to receive a memo authorizing her to comport to the standards of her affirmed gender.

116th IBCT Soldiers train on new recoilless rifle system
June 15, 2021 — Virginia and Kentucky National Guard Soldiers assigned to the Staunton-based 116th Infantry Brigade Combat Team trained on the M3E1 Multi-purpose Anti-armor Anti-personnel Weapon System during a course held at Maneuver Training Center Fort Pickett’s New Equipment Training / New Equipment Fielding facility June 1 - 11, 2021, at Fort Pickett, Virginia. ... MORE

Virginia National Guard Soldiers assigned to the Winchester-based 3rd Battalion, 116th Infantry Regiment, 116th Infantry Brigade Combat Team train on the M3E1 Multi-purpose Anti-armor Anti-personnel Weapon System June 4, 2021, at Maneuver Training Center Fort Pickett, Virginia.

VNG Soldiers compete for spot on All-Guard Marathon Team
June 15, 2021 — Five Virginia National Guard Soldiers competed for a spot on the elite All-Guard Marathon Team during National Guard Marathon Time Trials, held during the Lincoln Marathon May 2, 2021, in Lincoln, Nebraska... MORE

Five Virginia National Guard Soldiers competed for a spot on the elite All-Guard Marathon Team during National Guard Marathon Time Trials, held during the Lincoln Marathon May 2, 2021, in Lincoln, Nebraska.

Dual-military couple provides mutual support through unique challenges
June 15, 2021 — U.S. Air Force Maj. Jonathan Patterson and U.S. Army Sgt. Mark Patterson knew within the early stages of their respective careers that military service was the right fit for them. The couple joined their respective branches about a decade apart, Maj. Patterson first, in early 2001, and Sgt. Patterson later, in 2011. The decade between their entry into the military saw a drastic change in policy toward members of the LGBTQ+ community. ... MORE

AG joins Flag Day and Army Birthday celebration in Vinton
June 15, 2021 — Maj. Gen. Timothy P. Williams, the Adjutant General of Virginia, gave remarks and participated in a ceremonial cake cutting during the Flag Day and Army Birthday event hosted by the Allegheny - Blue Ridge chapter of the Association of the U.S. Army June 13, 2021, in Vinton, Virginia. ... MORE

Maj. Gen. Timothy P. Williams, the Adjutant General of Virginia, gives remarks and participates in a ceremonial cake cutting during the Flag Day and Army Birthday event hosted by the Allegheny - Blue Ridge chapter of the Association of the U.S. Army June 13, 2021, in Vinton, Virginia.

VNG Soldiers perform well at Region II Best Warrior Competition
June 3, 2021 — Virginia National Guard Soldiers turned in strong performances at the Army National Guard Region II Best Warrior Competition held May 11-14, 2021, at Fort Indiantown Gap, Pennsylvania... MORE

Spc. Michael Choi navigates the Air Assault Obstacle Course May 12, 2021, during the Region II Best Warrior Competition at Fort Indiantown Gap, Pennsylvania.

Commonwealth’s Memorial Day Ceremony honors, remembers fallen warriors
June 2, 2021 — The 2021 Commonwealth’s Memorial Day Ceremony held May 31, 2021, at the Virginia War Memorial in Richmond, Virginia, honored and remembered the men and women of the U.S. Armed Forces who paid the ultimate price in nation’s defense... MORE

Virginia Air National Guard Master Sgt. Damon L. Obasi sings the national anthem during the 2021 Commonwealth’s Memorial Day Ceremony May 31, 2021, at the Virginia War Memorial in Richmond, Virginia.

Virginia recruiter helps bring Vietnam War Memorial replica to local community
June 2, 2021 — When Virginia Army National Guard recruiter Staff Sgt. Chris Dickenson heard about the Wall That Heals, he knew it was something he wanted to bring to his community in Southwest Virginia. Unveiled by the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund in 1996, the Wall That Heals is a traveling replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. Made of avonite, a synthetic granite, the Wall is made of 140 numbered panels stretching 375 feet in length and standing at 7.5 feet at its highest point. Just like the original wall in D.C., visitors can make rubbings of the more than 58,000 names etched on the wall. To date, the Wall has been displayed in nearly 700 communities, according to its official website. ... MORE

Staff Sgt. Chris Dickenson, a recruiter for the Virginia Army National Guard, poses during the arrival of the Wall That Heals to Poplar Gap Park in Grundy, Virginia. The wall, which is a three quarters replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., was displayed in the park May 6-9, 2021. (Courtesy photo)

Virginia’s aviation assets test response tools as hurricane season nears
May 27, 2021 — As hurricane season inched closer to the East Coast, aviators from the Virginia National Guard participated in an exercise managed by the Virginia Department of Emergency Management to test the state’s air operations plan. The exercise, held May 10, 2021, at the Army Aviation Support Facility in Sandston, Virginia, made use of a new mission assignment tool and ensured communications capabilities between participating agencies. ... MORE

Virginia National Guard aviators participate in an air operations exercise managed by the Virginia Department of Emergency Management May 10, 2021, at the Army Aviation Support Facility in Sandston, Virginia. The exercise aimed to test a new smart phone-enabled mission-management platform designed for use during a large-scale emergency response effort, such as a hurricane. With the potential for air support from multiple agencies, all on different communications platforms, the new program aims to simplify mission assignment and reporting efforts. In addition to VNG and VDEM personnel, the training included members of the U.S. Coast Guard, the Virginia State Police, the Federal Aviation Administration, the North Carolina National Guard and the North Carolina Department of Public Safety. The training also allowed for a test of loading and using communications by air crews and helicopter crews from VNG, VSP and USCG tested the new platform during a simulated response exercise. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Sgt. 1st Class Terra C. Gatti)

29th Infantry Division welcomes new Command Sergeant Major
May 24, 2021 — BOWLING GREEN, Va. — Command Sgt. Maj. Daryl Plude took responsibility as the command sergeant major of the Fort Belvoir-based 29th Infantry Division from Command Sgt. Maj. Alan Ferris May 8, 2021, in Bowling Green, Virginia. Maj. Gen. John Rhodes, commanding general of the 29th Infantry Division, presided over the ceremony that included an exchange of the noncommissioned officer sword that represents the change of responsibility as the division’s senior noncommissioned officer from Ferris to Plude... MORE

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